Back when Alfred Hitchcock filmed the famously long kissing scene for Notorious, the passionate clinch between Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman was in serious danger of violating the Production Code. I’d love to see what Hitch would make of the new lesbian film Elena Undone, which set out to break the record for the longest kiss in cinema history.

The result? A steamy kiss between two women that lasts three minutes and twenty-four seconds. I know, I know: at this point, my words are just getting in the way of you watching the video. I’ll stop now.

Does it get any more annoying that the sound of thousands of vuvuzelas buzzing throughout the entirety of a soccer match? Yes, it does, thanks to Hyundai and their creation of the world's largest vuvuzela.

The sound of this 114-foot giant horn could likely be heard within a 3 mile radius , subjecting all of those within its vicinity to the dreaded sound that has haunted the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Now even those who refuse to watch a game because of the obnoxious vuvuzelas can not escape its deafening roar.

The new technique that uses stem cells to build better lungs could eventually help save lives.

Although the new research is promising, more study is needed before the reseeding technique could be applied to human patients. Click to enlarge this image. Hemera

"Reseeding" lungs with a patient's own stem cells before a transplant could save millions of lives.

Scientists from Yale University have developed a technique to remove all cells from a lung and then reseed the remaining connective tissue scaffold with a patient's own cells. The technique could be used with lung transplant patients.

"This is really the first paper that talks about engineering an entire lung that can be implanted and can exchange gas," said Laura Niklason, a scientist at Yale University and a co-author on the Science paper. "Previous work was scaled down... a far cry from engineering an entire tissue that a surgeon could pick up."

For now, the Yale scientists are only sewing reseeded lungs into rats, not humans.

Lung transplants are risky procedures. Given complications, organ rejection and other problems, the survival rate after 10 years is between 10 and 20 percent. But if a patient's own stem cells re-colonized the lung, the chance of organ rejection would drop dramatically, which should raise the long-term survival rate.

The first step toward saving human lives is by sacrificing a few rats. The scientists first removed four left lungs from four rats. Next, they bathed the lungs in a solution to destroy and then flush out all the living organic matter. Only a scaffold of connective tissue remained.

Next, the scientists injected lung stem cells into the trachea, and a slurry of lung vascular tissue into the artery leading into the lungs. One week later, the vascular and lung cells had re-colonized the connective tissue.

After removing the left lungs from a new set of rats, the Yale scientists implanted the reseeded lungs and compared them to their untouched counterparts. The reseeded lungs exchanged oxygen and carbon dioxide as well as the rats' original lungs.

The experiment was a success, but patients shouldn't start lining up at doctors offices just yet. After several hours, blood clots formed in the reseeded lungs, which would eventually kill a rat or person.

Niklason thinks this occurred because the lungs weren't fully reseeded. If the cells had been given more time, they would have successfully covered all surfaces inside the lung, and clotting would have been avoided.

Even so, there are other significant hurdles that must be overcome before human lungs can be grown. Niklason estimates it will take at least two decades for stem cell researchers to catch up with the best cells to reseed human lungs and, should that prove successful, to perform the necessary clinical trials.

Daniel Weiss, a scientist at the University of Vermont not involved in the research, agrees that at least 10 or 15 years and "a lot of work" remains before the lung reseeding technique could be used in humans. Nevertheless, Weiss is very excited by the new research.

"We are looking at millions of people worldwide dying because there is no cure (for diseases like emphysema and lung cancer)," said Weiss. "We desperately need a cure, and this gives us a lot of hope."

Lungs aren't the only organs that could be reseeded, said Weiss. Kidneys, liver, hearts and other organs could all potentially be reseeded with a patient's own cells, which are grown and then implanted into the patient to eliminate organ rejection.

"No one expected this to work so well, not even for a short amount of time," said Weiss. "This research will set the stage for years to come."

A baby red panda was born at the National Zoo in Washington, DC on June 16. The newborn is the first red panda to be born at the zoo in 15 years.

The proud parents, two-year-old Shama and three-year-old Tate, first met in February 2009, and got busy immediately. But because red pandas mate only once a year, and “because the two were inexperienced,” it took them a few tries to get Shama pregnant, the National Zoo said in a press release.

“This birth indicates that the animals are comfortable and well adjusted in their home here,” said Tony Barthel, curator of the Zoo’s Asia Trail. “We are excited about the opportunity we’ll have to watch and learn from the interactions between the red pandas as Shama raises the cub.”

Despite their name, red pandas (Ailurus fulgens, also called “lesser panda,” “bear cat” and “firefox”) are more closely related to raccoons than to giant pandas. They live in cool bamboo forests in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces in China, in the Himalayas and in Burma. Fewer than 2,500 red pandas remain in the wild, making this birth a victory for conservationists worldwide as well as for its first-timer parents.

The red pandas’ enclosure at the zoo is closed to the public to let Shama and her baby bond, but these early pictures are high-pitched-squeal-inducingly cute.

Batman has always been known for all his wonderful gadgets (or toys), but his Batmobile still strikes a chord among fans as one of the coolest and most amazing vehicles that has ever surfaced. With that, it seems that many of those die-hard fans have also made it a personal mission to resurrect the Batmobile in different ways and designs that are extraordinary for fans and others.

So here we gathered the best from all the Batman fans with an awesome collection of 16 Epic Batmobile Remakes that are perfect for Batman fans and also include some extras such as the newest Batpod. There are many different looks that include the different Batmobiles throughout the years.

Batmobile Go-Kart Vehicle

Go-Kart enthusiasts would get a huge kick out of this amazing Batmobile Kart that is created out of a Go-Kart shell. The actual batmobile is not for sale, but the creator does offer the plans for anyone willing to take on such a feat and build their own Go Kart Batmobile.

Batmobile Tumbler Mod

This has to be one of the most amazing Batmobile creations that has ever surfaced. It is a homemade Batmobile Tumbler that is outstanding from the ground up and Bob Dullam really stuck to the look of the Batmobile from Batman Begins and the Dark Knight. Best part yet…it is up to scale and is completely functional.

Batman’s Batpod Motorcycle

When Batman’s Batpod showed up on the big screen, every fan’s heart stopped in complete awe and excitement. So when we see a real one was modded and brought to life, it simply makes our Geeky life have meaning.

Batmobile Smart Car

With rising Gas prices, it is no wonder someone has thought that the Batmobile should respect the situation and find ways to cut back. It may not look like the Batmobile we have grown to love, but no one can deny that it is still just as cool. It is a miniature Batmobile Smart Car that has the looks, the shape and the Batman factor which will make fans interested, but it will also save money on Gas and have an easier time finding a parking spot.

Batman Batmobile Superbus

Created by a team of students at UT Delft, Netherlands, this Batmobile Superbus just takes the looks of the Batmobile and streteches it. This Superbus does not include any fancy Batman gadgets and such but sure beats riding the Big yellow bus to school.

Lego Batmobile

So you want to have your own Batmobile but really do not want the expense and other nonsense that would come with such a popular vehicle? Well, your best bet would be to build your very own Lego Batmobile, which is much smaller but then again…it would be easier to carry, cheaper to make and is a great reminder of the Caped Crusader without the baggage.

Lego 1966 Batmobile BoxCar

This is another great Lego Batmobile but in a completely different style. Here we have a Lego 1966 Batmobile BoxCar which is detailed, cute and even presents the awesome Caped Crusader. A beautiful remake!

Batmobile Corvette

Throughout the Batman movies and shows, there have been various Batmobile versions, but this Batmobile Corvette is one of the best…taking after the 1989 Batmobile that was in the Michael Keaton days. It was created by Randy Hecht using custom Fiberglass/marglass and is also street legal. It does mention that many Corvette fans are just appalled by such mistreatment of the Corvette, but I am sure Geeks will disagree, for the Batmobile is an exquisite find.

Batmobile Tumbler PC Case Mod

There have been numerous amounts of Computer Mods created, but this Batmobile Tumbler one is just extraordinary. Not only does it house an actual computer for your daily Web surfing, but it looks exactly like the cool Batmobile Tumbler Batman fans are crazy over.

Batman Forever Batmobile

This specific Batmobile is the actual one from Batman Forever. Unfortunately, similar to the let down of the movie, this Batmobile was auctioned off and comes with fine details that specify that it cannot be driven publically. This means that it could sit in your driveway and collect dust, just like this specific Batman movie probably does.

The second one is an actual homemade Batmobile replica from the same movie and although the finish is awesome, the movie is still a let down.

Lastly, here is another Batman Forever Batmobile that was developed from a Bugatti replica on a ‘77 VW pan and was then added the sculpt and method to make it all 22 feet long. It is a monster, but bad movie or not…the Batmobile still looks awesome.

VW Beetle Batmobile

Bonus: Simple Batmobile Remakes

Batmobile Car Mod

This specific Batmobile does not have the cool Batman factor as we would expect, but it provides another solution for die-hard Batman fans who want to mod their regular vehicle. Of course, it is not as flashy, innovative or cool, but it is still a Batmobile and probably would still make a geek just as happy.

Worst Batmobile Remake

This final one is probably the World’s Worst Batmobile Remake! I guess it is better than nothing, but then again…it seems like someone got happy with the paint and glue, without a care for absolutely nothing else that is Batman. For example: cool, sleek, and exciting!

Today I found out the origin of the word “soccer”. For all you out there who love to complain when Americans, and certain others, call “Football”, “Soccer”, you should know that it was the British that invented the word and it was also one of the first names of what we now primarily know of as “Football”.

In fact, in the early days of the sport among the upper echelons of British society, the proper term for the sport was “Soccer”. Not only that, but the sport being referred to as “Soccer” preceded the first recorded instance of it being called by the singular word “Football” by about 18 years. This happening when it became more popular with the middle and lower class. When that happened, the term “Football” gradually began dominating over “Soccer” and the then official name “Association Football”.

In the 1860s, as in most of history with records as far back as 1004 B.C., there were quite a lot of “football” sports in existence being played popularly throughout the world and of course, England. Many of these sports had similar rules and eventually, on October 26th, 1863, a group of teams in England decided to get together and create a standard set of rules which would be used at all their matches. They formed the rules for “Association Football”, with the “Association” distinguishing it from the many other types of football sports in existence in England, such as “Rugby Football”.

Now British school boys of the day liked to nickname everything, which is still somewhat common. They also liked to add the ending “er” to these nicknames. Thus Rugby was, at that time, popularly called “Rugger”. Association Football was then much better known as “Assoccer”, which quickly just became “Soccer” and sometimes “Soccer Football”.

The inventor of the nickname is said to be Charles Wredford Brown, who was an Oxford student around the time of Association Football’s inception. Legend has it, in 1863 shortly after the creation of Association Football, Wredford-Brown had some friends who asked him if he’d come play a game of “Rugger”, to which he replied he preferred “Soccer”. The name caught on from there.

In the beginning, the newly standardized Rugby and Soccer were football sports for “gentlemen”, primarily being played by the upper echelons of society. However, these two forms of football gradually spread to the masses, particularly Soccer as Rugby didn’t really catch on too well with the lower classes. This resulted in the name switching from “Soccer” and “Association Football”, to just “Football”; with the first documented case of the sport being called by the singular term “Football” coming in 1881, 18 years after it was first called simply “Soccer” or officially “Association Football”.

This game then gradually spread throughout the world under the lower class name of “Football”, rather than “Soccer” as the “gentlemen” called it. The problem was though, that a lot of other countries of the world already had popular sports of their own they called “Football”, such as the United States, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, to name a few. In these countries, the name “Soccer” was and, in some, still is preferred for this reason.

Just as intriguing, for those who like to lambaste American Football being called such when the ball interacts primarily with hands, most of the earliest forms of Football were named thus, not because you kicked a ball with your foot, but because they were played on foot. Peasants played most of their sports on foot; aristocrats played most of theirs on horseback. Thus, games played on foot were called “football”, whether they had anything to do with kicking a ball or not. Indeed, many of the earliest forms of football involved carrying balls in an attempt to get across goal lines passed some opposing team or individual players.

Soccer balls were originally painted with the now classic black and white checkered look in order to make them more visible on black and white TV during the 1970 FIFA World Cup. Naturally, people wanted to buy balls that looked like those that the professionals used on TV and thus everybody bought the black and white checkered soccer ball instead of the previous traditional solid color ball.

In the United States, early on the word “Football” was incorporated in the name for Soccer. The first name of the league was the “United States Soccer Football Association”. This lasted about 30 years before it was shortened to simply the “United States Soccer Federation” in 1975.

“Rugby” was also once known as “Football” and originally had almost the same set of rules as Soccer, though over time increasingly diverged. The name “Rugby” comes from Rugby School in England. Legend has it, during a Football match at that school, William Webb Ellis picked up the ball in his hands and ran with it over the goal line. It didn’t count as an official goal, as you weren’t supposed to use your hands; but the referee remarked, it was a “jolly good ‘try’”, which, according to legend, is where that particular Rugby scoring term comes from. The official Rugby Union was then formed in 1871 with a split in 1893 forming the Rugby League.

Rugby never caught on with the lower class as Soccer did. Thus, the famous British saying, “Soccer is a gentleman’s game played by ruffians and Rugby is a ruffian’s game played by gentlemen.”

The earliest known record of a Soccer-like sport was in 1004 B.C. in Japan. There are also many references to Soccer-like sports in 50 B.C. China, even being played between teams from China and Japan.

The Romans also played several types of Football games, including some that resembled Soccer. One of which was also included in the Roman Olympic Games. This particular version, in the Olympic Games, featured 27 men a side. The game was so rough that 2/3 of the players had to be hospitalized after the game.

The last genuine leather soccer ball used in the World Cup was the Adidas Tango Espana, used in the 1982 World Cup. Shortly thereafter, in 1986, the first fully synthetic World Cup soccer ball was used.

The designers of the Adidas Teamgeist, used in the 2006 World Cup, claim that ball was the roundest ever made for a sport.

During King Edward’s reign (1307-1327), he had laws passed against the playing of football sports. Anyone caught playing any form of football would be imprisoned, “For as much as there is a great noise in the city caused by hustling over large balls, from which many evils may arise…”

He wasn’t the only British monarch that hated football. Queen Elizabeth the First “had football players jailed for a week, with follow-up church penance”. King Henry IV and Henry VIII also passed laws against football sports.

American Football was originally known in England as “Start-Stop Rugby with Padding”… Catchy.

Legendary 1st AD David Tomblin spend most of his days off and lunch breaksduring the filming of "Return of the Jedi" on his own little 24 minute project,"Return of the Ewok". Eleven year old Warwick Davis inspired this fictionalaccount of him landing the part of an Ewok. It features most of the film's starsin costume, plus some sequences from the Battle of Endor filmed from a differentangle (with Tomblin's personal 16mm camera).

In the film, young Warwick is looking for a job. After trying his tiny hands atweightlifting in David Prowse's London Gym, he passes a Cinema playing "The EmpireStrikes Back". Warwick decides to go into acting himself...

For many years this elaborate Home Movie remained just that, with the only VHS copythought to belong to the Warwick family. It was finally screened it at Star Warsconventions and of course, bootleg copies have surfaced. However, nobody knows whathappened to the original 16 mm print.

This version features the original VHSrip scenes intercut with screener footageshot during a live presentation. It is probably as complete as you will ever find.

Chances are, you're well aware that the new iOS 4, formerly "iPhone OS 4," was officially released Monday. And, if you're one of those with a compatible device, you've probably been eagerly anticipating the boost. While the vast majority of reported upgrades have been painless, there have been rumblings around the Web that not everything is working so smoothly. We even encountered some trouble here at the Switched offices when our iPhones refused to reactivate following the change, leading to an endless cycle of failed syncs that turned what should have been a 15-minute task into a two-hour ordeal. We can't guarantee you won't have any problems, but here are some tips to ensure that things go as seamlessly as possible. And, just in case the whole thing goes south, we've got you covered there, too.

Is it worth it?

The first thing you should do before attempting to upgrade your device is to decide if you even want to do it. This is a particularly sticky issue for owners of the iPhone 3G, as there are numerous reports (which our own anecdotal evidence supports) of the now two-year-old 3G model suffering from serious performance and battery life issues when running iOS 4. If you're willing to make those sacrifices, you'll get added features like a unified Mail inbox and threaded e-mail messages, as well as a tweaked user interface and the folder function. You won't get access to some of the more advanced features, though, like multi-tasking or custom backgrounds. This goes for the second generation iPod touch as well.

Third gen iPod touch and iPhone 3GS owners get all the features of iOS 4, aside from Facetime video chat, since that feature requires the forward-facing camera introduced on the iPhone 4 model, which comes out this week. Owners of the original iPhone and iPod touch are ineligible for the upgrade.

Prep work

Before you do anything else, update your computer's operating system (to ensure you won't have any interruptions) and your iTunes to the latest version (9.2), essential for getting the iOS 4 upgrade. Launching iTunes should automatically alert you to an iTunes update, but you can also use the Apple Update tool (on a Windows PC) or Mac OS X's Software Update. You can check what version of iTunes you're running by clicking on "Help" and then "About" in the menu.

Once you've updated iTunes, you'll also want to update any apps you may have installed. It's easy enough: just click on Apps in your library, and then "check for updates" in the bottom right-hand corner of the window.

Next, you'll want to back up your iPhone or iPod touch. This is perhaps the most important thing you can do before upgrading. iTunes makes it relatively simple: just plug in your device, right-click on it's icon in the left-hand menu, and select "back up." We wish there were an easy way to back up your iPhone without iTunes, but all non-iTunes solutions involve jailbreaking and complicated schemes to get around Apple's security measures. Lastly, you'll want to perform a final sync to copy all of your apps and content to your PC or Mac.

Commence the update

Well, now, if you've so decided, it's time to take the plunge. Select your iPhone in iTunes and click "check for update." The update should download and install iOS 4. Obviously, don't interrupt your device while it's updating. Yes, this means don't unplug it, don't touch the power or home buttons, and don't close iTunes or anything else that could potentially spoil the upgrade process.

Recovery Options

If everything goes terribly wrong and nothing seems to be working, you've got a few options for recovery. First, you can try to restore from a backup by right-clicking on your iPhone icon in iTunes, and selecting "Restore From Backup." You'll be asked to pick which backup to restore, so choose the one immediately preceding your update. This will not re-install iOS 4, but will remove and restore application data and settings. If that doesn't solve your problem, it's time to try a complete software restore. You do this by clicking "Restore" on the summary tab in iTunes. (You'll find it right under the "check for updates" option.) This will wipe your iPhone, reinstall the OS and then prompt you to either restore your backed-up data or start from scratch.

If your device is truly bonked, you might have to try this alternative method for restoring your device to the factory defaults:

Disconnect your iPhone from your computer.

Turn off the device.

While pressing and holding the Home button, plug your iPhone back into the computer.

Continue holding the Home button until you see the "Connect to iTunes" screen.

Release the Home button.

Click "Restore" in iTunes.

The truly desperate can attempt to downgrade to iPhone OS 3.1.3, but -- be warned -- it involves downloading the software from a third-party source, and requires the use of an application other than iTunes. This should only be attempted as a last-ditch effort to revive a non-functioning device, and only if you're at least moderately tech savvy. Otherwise, you may have a trip to the Apple Store or AT&T in your future.

Hopefully, when all is said and done, you'll have a nice shiny iDevice loaded with Apple's latest mobile OS. If you managed to brick your device, well, just use it as an excuse to rush out and get that iPhone 4 we know you've been lusting after anyway.

My Favorite Blogs

Ian M. Sherwin Giclée

.
All you art collectors out there. Here is a chance to get a Giclee copy of some of Ian M Sherwin work. Ian is planning on doing a whole series of Marblehead, Massachusetts paintings.His work is amazing.